Exciting News! If you want to use your communication skills to protect people, enhance the environment and improve equity, then the Wastewater Treatment Division’s (WTD) Community Services group looks forward to meeting you! We have an amazing new opportunity as an Community Services team Lead. In this position you will help lead a talented, committed public outreach team to use the art of engagement to serve others and help our division do the same. We work together to communicate clearly and solve problems. We manage our work adaptively to get desired results. We know diverse perspectives make us better, so we welcome diversity and seek to be mindful. As a member of WTD’s Community Services Unit, you will support all the division’s work. You will inform the public about our projects, operations and services. You will engage communities in equitable decision-making using virtual, online, social media and in-person formats. You will work one-on-one with individuals, businesses and communities to understand and respond to their needs related to WTD projects, programs and plans.
Core Work Duties
Serve as part of a collaborative group leadership team in the following ways:
Contribute to preparation and oversight of the unit’s work plans, work assignments, performance reviews and budgets with a particular focus on meeting the outreach needs for WTD’s planning and operations work.
Assist in establishing and maintaining work unit goals and evaluation criteria using performance objectives and KPIs with a particular focus on WTD planning and operations goals
Represent CS work unit with ECSS Capital Improvement Program (CIP) support Leads and WTD Operations leaders.
Manage continuous improvement processes to ensure CS work unit maintains its morale and connection
Lead adaptive management efforts to meet new or expanding CS work unit obligations to WTD Operations, CIP and priority initiatives including the King County Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan and the Strategic Climate Action Plan
Support CS work unit teammates in doing their best work to serve WTD and all of its ratepayers
Promote and protect work unit safety
Advise staff and make decisions on issues where established guidelines or procedures may not exist or are not clear
Provide coaching and constructive feedback focused on ensuring high quality service to meet workgroup performance objectives including WTD strategic priorities
Build and manage processes to enhance team coordination and connection
Advise teammates about professional development opportunities and training
Serve as CS project lead on WTD’s most complex capital projects, planning processes and programs by:
Developing and implementing equitable public engagement plans that build informed consent and community support for WTD CIP projects, plans, and programs
Identifying and planning for equity risks and opportunities on WTD planning, operations and/or capital improvement program
Serve on the Community Services incident response team, which requires 7 days of 24-hour availability every 5-6 weeks with the potential for field support outside regular work hours.
We would like you to have experience and knowledge in the following:
At least three years of experience planning and implementing equitable public engagement strategies to support complex public works planning efforts or capital project implementation
Experience leading teams using strategic planning tools including tracking performance through measurable objectives and KPIs.
Experience representing King County WTD or other public utility on multi-jurisdictional capital and/or planning efforts
Experience developing effective skills and work habits in others
Experience aligning outreach support for public works projects and/or programs to advance equity and social justice, and climate action
Experience supporting public agency incident response efforts
Physical Requirements - While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and use hands to touch, handle or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee frequently is required to talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, and to stoop, kneel or crouch. Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
Desirable (or willingness and ability to learn)
Working knowledge of Wastewater systems and operations
Experience working with Project Management Body of Knowledge Fundamental practices and techniques
Experience working in FEMA incident command structure
Necessary Requirements - Valid Washington State driver’s license (WDL) or the ability to obtain a WDL or the ability to travel in a timely manner to locations throughout King and Snohomish Counties that may not be served by public transportation.
King County is committed to recovering and reusing the products of the wastewater treatment process. Beneficially recycling the treated water and nutrient-rich biosolids and recovering energy from waste gases increases the efficiency of our wastewater treatment plants, conserves resources, protects the environment, and saves money.